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CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS SIMON THEATER
TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO THREE ARRESTS
BLINN COLLEGE INCREASES TUITION
FORMER DEPUTY ARRESTED AND INDICTED
POINSETTIA CELEBRATION THIS WEEKEND
(NOVEMBER 20TH, 2009)
Brenham
Fire Chief Ricky Boeker was looking for direction on whether to apply for SAFER
grants to add six more firefighters to the Brenham Fire Department.
At Thursday’s afternoon’s workshop session on the matter he got that
direction. The City Council and
Mayor Milton Tate said not this year.
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Assistant City Manager
Kyle Dannhaus and City |
Boeker told the Council that he would need the additional firefighters if
the city was to go forward and build the new fire substation.
City Manager Terry Roberts noted that the grant would fully cover the
additional firefighters for two years but the first year they would be awaiting
the construction of the new substation. Roberts
also said that the 290 project is coming up in less than two years and that
would stress the city’s budget.
Assistant City Manager Kyle Dannhaus said that now is a good time to
construct the station because, due to the slow economy, construction prices are
down. City Councilman Danny Goss
asked Boeker what would happen if the city were to apply for the grant but the
city could not use it. Boeker said
that would have a bad affect on any future application for the grant.
Mayor Milton Tate said the city was not ‘ready to pull the trigger’
on the grant and that was the consensus of the city council.
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(NOVEMBER 20TH, 2009)
Brenham police were finally able to apprehend a Chappell Hill man after a
chase and struggle during the late night hours of November 2nd.
What we didn’t know at the time was that a brave Brenham man helped in
the capture.
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Mayor Milton Tate honors Jeff Koehne. |
The reports from that night say that 27-year old Luke Daniel Ladewig
drove away from officer Miguel Tejeda while driving on East Alamo at about
11:40pm, November 2nd. Ladewig
kept going and a short chase ensued to the 4600 block of Chappell Hill Road.
Ladewig allegedly bolted from the vehicle and, at that point, private
citizen Jeff Koehne enlisted to help. Using
his own vehicle and running into terraine familiar to him but not to local police,
Koehne helped the police track down Ladewig who was fleeing the law on foot.
Koehne, with his four-wheel drive vehicle was able to find and stop
Ladewig. Officer Tejeda caught up
with Ladewig but the suspect continued to fight with him.
Police Chief Rex Phelps honored Koehne at last night’s Brenham City
Council meeting for ‘showing the spirit that is part of the community.’
Mayor Milton Tate presented Koehne with a plaque honoring him and his
actions.
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(NOVEMBER 20TH, 2009)
When the Simon Theater finally opens
as a convention center it will also have a visitor’s center.
The Brenham City Council passed a resolution supporting putting the
visitor’s center there at their meeting last night.
The Hotel Occupancy Tax Board, the City and the Washington County Chamber
of Commerce supports the move. HOT
Board Chair Steve Finn says that the Simon, the convention center complete with
the visitor’s center should be ready in about a year.
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HOT Board Chair |
The cost of the renovation of the Simon to build out a location for the
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau would be borned by the Simon non-profit at a
projected cost of $900,000 to one million dollars.
Tours of the Simon will be offered on Sunday afternoon.
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(NOVEMBER 20TH, 2009)
Before it’s time for Sunday services, the Inglesia Pentecostal Unida,
the United Pentecostal Church, will be up and ready.
Volunteer workers, all in the construction trades are building a
‘church in a day’, at highway 36 north just past Hohlt Park in Brenham.
The Rev. Greg Steele is directing this project.
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Building a church in a day on Highway 36 north. |
Steele says they will work through the forecast of rain, noting that they
have never had to begin a project in the rain.
Thursday morning, the workers were constructing the frames for the walls
and those walls are being raised Friday morning.
The Church in a Day project is under the South Texas District of the
United Pentecostal Church. Steele
says that this is a nationwide project that has built over a hundred churches.
This is the seventeenth church built in Texas.
Steele says the workers are donating their time and labor, and get to the
project on their own, paying for their own gasoline, meals and hotel.
Steele says the Pentecostal Church organization pays for the project up
front and the local church will pay the money back.
The site of the church is also the site of the previous church and a meat
packing plant.
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(NOVEMBER 20TH, 2009)
The west side water tower project is continuing and the Brenham City
Council approved a contract at Thursday night’s meeting that would allow the
project to continue.
The water tower project would expand the water pressure plane and areas
above the 372 elevation. The phase
two work will include the installation of approximately 3600 linear feet of
water line along North Dixie Street between Main and North Dixie to FM 577.
Matula and Matula Construction was the low bidder on the phase two
improvements with a base bid of $523,863. That
bid is under the estimated costs of $836,098.
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(NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009)
The H1N1 vaccine is available at the Trinity Wellness Center for area residents who fall into the Centers for Disease Control designated priority groups.
The vaccine for the H1N1 virus along with the seasonal flu for children
only, will be
provided from 8am to noon on Friday and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 am and on Wednesday afternoon from one to five pm.
No appointment is required during these scheduled times.
There will be no vaccinations on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving
holiday.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that programs and providers
administer the vaccine to persons in the following five target groups until the
H1N1 Vaccine is more widely available.
These groups are pregnant women, persons living with or provide medical
services personnel, persons aged six months to 24 years, persons between the
ages of 25 to 64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for
influenza related complications. There
is no charge for the H1N1 Vaccines.
For more information call the Trinity Wellness Center at 830 5017.
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CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS SIMON THEATER
(NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009)
Work continues in the renovation effort at the Simon Theater in downtown
Brenham. There are numerous uses in
store for the theater when the work is done in a few months and one possible use
is having the Visitor’s Center there.
When the Brenham City Council meets this afternoon they are expected to
pass a resolution favoring that move and Steve Finn, the chair of the Hotel
Occupancy Tax Board says that this is a good idea.
|
Work continues on the Simon Theater. |
Finn says the HOT Board, the City Council and the Washington County
Chamber of Commerce are working together on this issue.
The Visitor’s Center is currently at the Chamber offices at 314 South
Austin.
The Brenham City Council will discuss the matter during today’s city
council meeting. The Brenham
City Council meets at five-fifteen with a workshop beginning at four.
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(NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009)
You have a chance to do all of your Christmas shopping a the Giddings
Stone Mansion this weekend during the 2009 Holiday Home Tour and Trunk Show.
The trunk show is from 11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday where you can
catch the Christmas spirit at the Mansion. The
Mansion will be packed with vendors and their holiday wares.
The home tour is from one to four. Seven
homes of historic and architectural note are beautifully decorated for Christmas
and are sure to put you in a holiday mood.
Admission is ten dollars per person and tickets are available only at the
Mansion. They are valid on both days. You
can also join the group at the mansion from five to six on Saturday after the
tour for wine, cheese and door prizes.
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TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO THREE ARRESTS
(NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009)
A traffic stop for a back seat unbuckled seat belt led to the arrest of
three Brenham men Tuesday night.
Brenham police officer Joseph Merkley stopped a 2000 Buick at Blue Bell
Road and Highway 105, at about 8:51 Tuesday night because the back seat
passenger did not have his seat belt buckled, as a new law requires.
Once Merkley got to the car he could detect the odor of marijuana and
that led to a search. He found what
he believed to be marijuana and arrested 20-year old Forrest Conrad Bertolet,
19-year old Kyle Wade Cosburn and 21-year old Andrew Joseph Stuart.
Cosburn was also arrested for the possession of dangerous drugs because
he had some prescription medication on him, as well.
Stuart was arrested for drug paraphrenalia.
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(NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009)
A Brenham woman reports to Brenham police that when she came to her home
in the 400 block of Peabody Monday afternoon she discovered a burglary.
Shandolyn Lewis reports that the burglars took a 42 inch flat screen
television and a jar of coins. She
said that they got in the house by forcing open a front window.
Police are investigating.
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BLINN COLLEGE INCREASES TUITION
(NOVEMBER 18TH, 2009)
There are over 17,000 students in the four Blinn College campuses and
most of them will be paying more to continue their education after last
night’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Blinn College Board of Trustees.
The board approved a four dollar per semester hour increase for out of
district students and out of state students.
The 700 to 800 in district students, those who live in Washington County,
will continue to pay $35 per semester hour.
Out of District students will pay $68 per semester hour, out of state
students will pay $144 per semester hour.
|
Blinn Vice-President Van
Miller speaks to the board |
There are other increases. All
students will be paying an additional two dollars in the general fee, to $30.
There is an increase in the health center fees of one dollar and the
health and kinesiology fees, currently $40 would raise the fees for such courses
to $45. The fees for the TEACH
Program would be reduced from $3900 to $3200.
The housing rates for students would be raised $50 a semester. There is
also a raise in the various meal plans.
Blinn College’s Vice-President for Business Van Miller told the Board
that this was the least favorite thing he and the staff to do, that is limiting
ability to go to college. He said
that the increases are necessary because of the appropriations structure.
Dr. Miller said that there was no increase in appropriations coming in
from the state next year. Blinn
President Dr. Dan Holt said the college had so many demands that the increase
was necessary. Board member Johnny
Lacina asked why there is an extra burden put on the students.
Miller noted that other community colleges in the state had a higher tax
rate and a broader tax base.
Miller told the Board that right now Blinn is 22nd in the
state’s 50 community colleges in tuition and the increase would probably bring
them up to 17th.
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FORMER DEPUTY ARRESTED AND INDICTED
(NOVEMBER 18TH, 2009)
A former deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s office has been
indicted on two charges.
Forty-three year old Mary Laskoskie, who was fired from the Sheriff’s
office in June was indicted last
week for giving false information to obtain property and credit card abuse.
The 21st district court grand jury handed down the indictments
last week.
She was terminated from the Sheriff’s office on June 23rd
after a Texas Rangers and Sheriff’s office investigation for the unauthorized
use of credit cards.
Laskoskie had worked for the Sheriff’s office for over eight years.
She was taken into custody, processed and then released on bail on
Monday.
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(NOVEMBER 18TH, 2009)
The Economic Development Foundation of Brenham announced (Tuesday) that
its members have elected five directors to serve a three year term on the board
starting this month. Four newcomers
to the board are Cory Flencher of Citizens State Bank, Vance Hamilton of
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Billy Holle of Seidel, Schroeder and Company,
and Mike Shoup of Antique Rose Emporium. One
has been reelected to serve another term on the board was David Yeager, the
retired Brenham school superintendent and now heads up DLY Services.
The EDF Board consists of 15 total members, with three sets of five
directors serving staggered terms. Other
returning directors include William Krueger, consulting engineer, Paul Kruse of
Blue Bell Creameries, Brett Smith from Lee Anderson Company, Leon Toubin,
independent businessman, Don Voelter, retired from Blinn College, David Bockhorn
from Bank of Brenham, Steve Haley from Moorman, Tate Law firm, Jon Hill of Appel
Ford Mercury, Barbara Maurer of Chase Bank and Stephen Miller from Brenham
Wholesale Grocery.
EDF Board Chair Luther Hueske says that ‘a great deal of gratitude’
goes out for the many years of dedication and service that these board members
provided, and they are excited about the mix of talent and experience that the
new directors will bring to the board.
The Economic Development Foundation of Brenham was created in 1953 to
promote the development of industry in the city and the creation of jobs in the
community.
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POINSETTIA CELEBRATION THIS WEEKEND
(NOVEMBER 18TH, 2009)
P.J. Ellison-Kalil says this year’s Annual Poinsettia Celebration at
Ellison’s Greenhouse means two important milestones.
It is the 19th anniversary of the Celebration of the flower
that means Christmas for so many people, it is also the 40th
anniversary of Ellison’s Greenhouse.
The Poinsettia Celebration is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday and the
greenhouse, at the corner of Stone and FM 577, will be filled with thousands,
often huge poinsettias. Ellison-Kalil
says the point is to bring joy to this special time of the year.
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The Poinsettia Tree is
always a highlight of the |
Ellison-Kalil says the Celebration is from 10am to 4pm both Saturday and
Sunday, rain or shine. Admission is
$4 for adults and $2 for children. She
says there will be plenty of vendors with food, gifts and other high end items.
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